Here's my dilemma: the first time I came here, I LOVED LOVED LOVED our girls' brunch (party of 3)...even though not everything we ordered during that visit was spot on (read my review).
Then, this second time around, it was 2 of us and we had hoped to re-create the dining experience we had that first time - but this time, we came for lunch.
And lunch was a TOTAL AND COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT AND LETDOWN. :(
So my dilemma is: what rating should I give this place? 2 different dining experiences, 2 different times of day. 2 different menu selections.
Here's what I decided:
3 **VERY GENEROUS** stars for The Smith's lunch visit, lunch menu and overall lunch dining experience.
But I will keep and continue to vouch for my 4 STAR RATING FOR THE SMITH'S BFAST / BRUNCH visit, menu and dining experience.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS - BFAST / BRUNCH IS THE ONLY MEAL WORTH COMING HERE FOR. Though you'll dip into your wallet more than you would like and though some of the menu items for bfast/brunch leave a lot to be desired, it's still a fun place to come and hang for a couple hours slow-sipping (horribly burned and bitter!) coffee (more on the coffee further down lol), to people watch, and take in the ambiance while reading the morning paper or catching up with friends. Definitely plan ahead and make reservations, come hungry and only when you're not in a rush and have plenty of time to sit and relax. If you're not spending a couple leisurely hours here, it's not worth what you'll end up paying.
When we came for our (disappointing) lunch, we still loved the inside ambiance, decor, and vibe. We love the diner feel and hustle and bustle and people watching that can only be NYC.
But we had the hardest time for the life of us picking something to order from the lunch menu! There was NOTHING appealing to choose from. Choices were either blah, too nouvelle-cutesy way overpriced...or all of the above How about serving classic lunch fare? A corned beef sandwich on rye? Or chicken noodle soup? Or even all-day-breakfast offerings? Why does adding protein to a caesar salad for lunch have to cost $30?! Why is Veggie Bibimbap on the menu - do you guys think you know how to make better classic Korean dishes than the 2,474 Koreatown joints? And why is a side of fries $12? Clearly you are not catering to the masses. Why not? And then who ARE you trying to cater to?
You be the judge - look at my lunch menu pic. See how limited and uninspiring the lunch menu items are. My bad for not checking the lunch menu first else I would have passed on coming here.
We finalllllyyyyy settled on 2 lunch entrees - the Fusilli Pasta entree for $26 and the Ceasar Salad entree (no protein - $30 extra to add protein was UNACCEPTABLE) for $21. And both of us were NOT at all excited by what we ended up choosing to order but frankly they were the lesser evils.
In fact, we literally debated for 20 minutes before we ordered whether we should just pay for our coffees and bail. THAT BAD.
Ultimately, what we ordered did not live up to expectations. No surprise there. Both the pasta and salad entrees were mediocre at best and not worth what we paid - we felt lucky to get out of there with a bill ($51 before tip - for LUNCH FOR TWO!) that could have been double what we paid had we not ordered the bare minimum. It's a sad day when picking something appealing off a menu is a hardship....
Btw more about the ABYSMAL COFFEE that no one should have to put up with coming from a place like The Smith!! The coffee is GOD AWFUL. SO BITTER AND BURNT TASTING. No amount of sugar or creamer could mask the taste. BLECH. Our waiter was GENIUS...perhaps he's heard this complaint before?!!! He watered the coffee down with half hot water and it tasted SO MUCH BETTER. And believe me, I'm no coffee wimp. I love my coffee bold and strong and not wimpy-weak. But bitter and burned does not equate to bold and strong my friends. The Smith, you all need to figure out your god-awful coffee situation! How can a place like yours fail so badly at something SO basic?!!' (Btw our waiter graciously comped our coffees - the right thing to do and much appreciated!)
Not even going to try The Smith's dinners. From the dinner menu offerings and the mixed reviews, I can see you aren't getting out of a dinner meal at this place without dropping multiple benjamins.
WE WILL STICK WITH ONLY BFAST / BRUNCH HERE - read my tips and tricks from our brunch visit - including MAKING A RESERVATION because.....you CAN...so why wouldn't you?
The Smith is good for satisfying a very specific "use case" - nothing less, nothing more. read more